Agriculture

Agriculture refers to the science, art, and the business of growing food and raising livestock for profit and the activities include poultry, livestock and fisheries. 

Agriculture is a significant part of the Indian economy, accounting for over 17% of total GDP and employing more than 60% of the population. Over the last few decades, India’s agriculture has grown at a rapid pace and has made a global mark mainly due to the rapid growth.

Significance of Agriculture

1. Agriculture plays a critical role in creating jobs: At least 2/3rd  of India’s working population makes their living from agriculture. Other sectors in India have failed to provide enough jobs for the country’s rising working population.
2. Agriculture provides food for the world’s ever-increasing population: Food production is increasing at a quick rate as a result of the increased stress of the population labour, surplus economies like the India and the rapid increase in demand for food. Food consumption in many countries is now quite low, and even a small increase in per capita income causes food demand to skyrocket. As a result, unless the agriculture is able to boost its sold excess of food grains on a consistent basis, a crisis is likely to occur. Many developing nations are going through this phase, and agriculture has been made to address the rising food demands.
3. Contribution to the formation of capital: On the requirement of capital formation, there is broad consensus. Agriculture, as the biggest industry in developing countries like India, can and should play a significant role in increasing capital formation rates. If it fails to do so, the entire economic development process will be hampered.
4. Raw materials to the agricultural industries raw material supply-Agriculture provides raw ingredients to a wide range of agro-based industries, including jute, Vanaspati sugar and cotton textiles. Similarly, the food processing industry is reliant on agriculture. As a result, agriculture is completely dependent on the growth of these businesses.
5. Markets for the Industrial goods -Because two-thirds of India’s population lives in villages, a rise in rural buying power is critical for industrial development. Because of their increased revenue and low tax burden, large farmers’ purchasing power expanded after the green revolution.
6. Impact on external and internal commerce and trade- Agriculture in India plays a critical part in the country’s internal and external trade. Internal commerce in food grains as well as other agricultural products aids the service sector’s expansion.

Achievements in the Agricultural Sector

1. Production of the food grain-Following the green revolution in the 1960s, India’s agriculture saw a significant increase in productivity, owing to intense use of inputs and technological improvement. Despite a brief pause in the early 2000s, average foodgrain production has increased significantly over the last decade, owing to increased credit of the agriculture, private and the  public investment, increased use of high-quality seeds and fertilisers, increased irrigation acreage, and increased cropping intensity.
2. Diversification of Crops in Horticulture-Since 2012-13, horticulture production has overtaken foodgrains production, accounting for about 35% of the overall value of crop production in the agriculture sector. In contrast to foodgrains, where productivity has mostly driven expansion, horticulture production has been driven approximately equally by area and productivity1. Following the green revolution, yield-driven growth in foodgrain production made area diversification towards high-value horticultural crops possible.
3. The Significance of Allied Activities is Increasing- In the recent decade; the allied sector has gradually grown in importance, owing to robust growth in animal husbandry and seafood production. As the number of operational land holdings shrinks, livestock is becoming a more important source of consistent income for small farmers as well as landless labourers.
4. Agriculture Trade Dynamics are Changing-India’s share of global agriculture and related sector trade has doubled as it has developed as a major producer of numerous agricultural commodities. In 2020-21, the agriculture and its allied sector generated 14.2% of India’s total exports, and it includes a wide range of goods, both raw and processed, such as grains, horticulture crops, sugar, cattle, and marine products.

Constraints in the Agricultural Sector

• According to the 2010-11 Agriculture Census, there were 138.35 million operational holdings with a normal size of 1.15 hectares. 85 percent of total holdings are in the marginal and small agricultural categories, with less than 2 hectares.
• With the majority of small holdings, farming for subsistence puts the economy’s scale in jeopardy.
• Farmers’ purchasing and selling decisions are influenced by a lack of credit and the prominence of unorganised creditors.
• Less use of technologies, mechanisation, and low productivity, the first two of which are key sources of concern.
• In comparison to affluent countries, there is very little value addition and very little primary-level processing at the farmer level.
• Poor farming infrastructure increases reliance on the weather, marketing, and supply chain for high-value crops.

Concept of Sustainable Agriculture

The notion of sustainable agriculture arose as a result of a peak in yields from current farming techniques, as well as environmental issues resulting from the excessive use of fertilizers, pesticides and chemicals in the food chain. The widespread use of methods of farming has resulted in land degradation and many ecological issues such as degradation of land, eutrophication  and other issues that have decreased the value of land as a resource that is sustainable.

As a result, we require an agricultural system that produces enough food to meet the requirements of the current generation while preserving the ecological resources and productivity of life-sustaining systems for the future generations. It is a farming system that incorporates manure, rotation of the crops, and little tillage. Agroforestry (planting trees near crops), multi-level farming (planting trees of various heights in succession), and integrated animal husbandry are all examples of sustainable agriculture

Conclusion

Agriculture’s future is a critical issue for the stakeholders. The government and other institutions are attempting to address the specific problems of agriculture in the country, such as small farmer holdings, chain of supply, the primary and the secondary processing, marketing, efficient use of the resources, infrastructure support with the goal of reducing market intermediaries. Furthermore, the work on cost-effective technology that safeguards the environment and conserves our natural resources is required.